1. Field of the Invention
A mount assembly for a pedal of the type for controlling the throttle or brake of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of pedal assemblies are known that include a pedal pivotally supported on a base, which is, in turn, connected to a mounting plate that is attached to a vehicle. Many such assemblies include a connection that allows adjustment of the pedal position to accommodate various different drivers. Such adjustment changes the position of the pedal relative to the vehicle after the assembly is mounted in the vehicle. Examples of such assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,326 to Kawaguchi; U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,995 to Riggle; U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,047 to Bortolon and U.S. Patent Publications No. 2002/0157497 to Porter et al.; No. 2003/0094070 to O'Neill; No. 2003/0110879 to Massey III et al.; and No. 2004/0134305 to Peniston et al.
However, these assemblies are especially adapted for adjustment during the life of operational use, i.e., the life of the vehicle in which installed. Normally, such assemblies are designed for installation in a predetermined vehicle to satisfy the packaging requirements of that particular vehicle. Consequently, a separate and distinct pedal assembly is designed for each vehicle without the pedal assembly being mountable in any other vehicle. Accordingly, a need exists for a pedal assembly that may be mounted in a wide variety of different vehicles and fixed in the mounted position for the life of operation. In other words, a pedal assembly that may be mounted in a wide variety of packaging requirements could be made in extensive volumes to reduce manufacturing costs by being used across a large range of vehicle models.